Your ShelfYour Projects

Visiting

10%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 3, 1908

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 85, No. 36.

Read the full edition

Visiting

By C. McReynolds

C. MC REYNOLDS
The great apostle to the Gentiles laid down a principle concerning visiting that should be studied and applied by gospel workers to-day. The messenger of God, the man or woman sent of the Lord to labor in his great harvest-field, has a special purpose to accomplish, a definite work to do. It is pleasant to enter a neat, well-kept home, and enjoy the hospitality there afforded by the thrift of the diligent husband and the faithfulness of the frugal wife; but these hearts are longing to be fed also. In Rom. 1:11, Paul says, “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.”
What was the purpose of his visit?—To “impart some spiritual gift,” of such a nature as to build up the spiritual life. It is well to be acquainted with the current news of the day, and to have a general knowledge of most lines of ordinary business, so that we can converse intelligently on such topics as occupy the minds of the people. In that way we can come close to them. A social spirit breaks down the barriers that Satan has reared in their minds. But all of this is only a means of approach. The purpose of your visit is to give spiritual instruction. If you fail to impart that, you may have lost the last opportunity you will ever have to bring to those souls what God has for them. He has chosen you for a channel through which the light of the gospel is to flow to them.
You may be sure Satan will work hard to prevent the conversation from being turned into the line of spiritual things. But if our hearts are all aglow with the light of heaven, possessing the glory of Immanuel, we shall see an opportunity to turn the conversation to the things in which we are most interested.
In this same letter Paul assures the church of the purpose of his visit, of what they may expect him to bring to them (Rom. 15:29): “And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.” “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” If our own lives are filled, and our hearts are overflowing, with the blessings of the gospel of Christ, we shall not be able to leave a home without having made an impression for good. The soon coming of Christ will become the theme of our conversation when it becomes the one purpose of our lives.
A lighted lamp shines; and the greater the darkness, the brighter the shining. In the REVIEW of April 30 the servant of God, speaking of the provision that Christ has made for his people says: “It is his purpose that every Christian shall be surrounded with a spiritual atmosphere of light and peace.”
The most important part of the work of the evangelist, the preacher, or the Bible worker is visiting,—visiting to impart spiritual life. “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” “There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.”—REVIEW, April 30. What encouragement! Let us labor and pray to become good visitors.
“If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” If we carry to the people God’s truth by the power of his Spirit, the heart-strings will be touched, the purse-strings will be loosened, voluntary gifts of means will flow in to support God’s work, and we shall be able to say, with Paul, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.”
Grand Rapids, Wis.